Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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As the 2017 Legislature came to a close last Friday, and with any session it means different things to everyone, depending on which bills passed, which failed and what action our chosen representatives took. Here at the Independent Record, we have kept in contact with Nathan Winters and Wyatt Agar, and provided regular comments from them as the weeks went on. Among the issues which these gentlemen discussed with their peers were: wolves, sexual assaults, concealed carry in the schools, licensing fees, absentee voters, education costs and, of...
Aaaah spring! The beautiful season that brings new leaves, new grass and best of all, new babies. I hear friends talking about calving time and lambing season and giraffes. Yes, giraffes. Literally tens of thousands of people all over the world are glued to their computers waiting for the birth of a new giraffe at a zoo in Harpursville, New York. The zoo is running a live feed on the Internet in anticipation of the blessed event. The gestation period for giraffes lasts 15 months. I have to give...
The growth of a community is directly related to the members of that community and the input they are willing to share when they have the opportunity. A perfect example is Monday night’s public meeting regarding the future use of the former Hot Springs County Airport. There were about 30 people in attendance at the meeting and their ideas ranged from simple things all the way to full-blown plans, all of which will be taken into consideration as the process winds down to the final decision. These people were excited about the possibilities a...
I came upon a lady on 14th Street in her mini van stopped just short of the stop sign at Broadway. As her misfortune would have it, the road was iced and she could not move forward. I went around her and turned back to ask if I could assist her. I directed her to straighten the front wheels and back slowly until she could turn onto O’Dell Street and go safely on her way. A driver in a red Jeep came along and turned on his red roof flashers. I moved out of the way to allow him to ask if she needed help. Apparently she assured him that all was w...
In thinking about what I would write for this week, I came to the realization that I’ve officially been a resident of Thermopolis, Hot Springs County and the state of Wyoming. I remember those first few days out here as being a bit nerve-wracking. See, I really hadn’t been outside the comfort zone of my hometown of Alliance, in western Nebraska. The furthest I’d been, outside of vacations or seminars, was during my college years at Chadron — a whole 54 miles from Alliance. Suddenly, I found m...
by U.S. Senator John Barrasso, M.D. As a doctor, if I treat 100 patients and just three recover enough to be discharged from the hospital, I would deserve to lose my medical license. A similar standard should apply to the Endangered Species Act. This law was meant to protect animals, plants, and other species identified as endangered or threatened with extinction. It also tried to conserve ecosystems upon which these species depend. A major goal of the Endangered Species Act is the recovery of species to the point that protection under the law...
This past weekend saw members of the Thermopolis Volunteer Fire Department enjoying themselves during their annual ball and banquet, Saturday evening at the VFW. Awards were given out, each with its own prestige, including Fireman of the Year and Master Chef, along with pins for years of service with the department. It was a night for the firefighters, along with their significant others, to enjoy themselves. Just a few days later put them to work with an early morning house fire which took 20 personnel and four hours to extinguish. It’s in the...
We all have childhood memories we cherish and sometimes a certain smell, a particular song or even a “comfort food” will bring those memories rushing forward. For me, it seems to always be that comfort food. That also might explain the three different sizes of jeans in my closet, too. I didn’t grow up in a financially prosperous household, but I grew up in one with a lot of love and three generations, so dinners together in the kitchen are some of my most vivid memories. When my grand...
Proposals to turn Medicare into a voucher system would take health care in precisely the wrong direction – pushing up costs for current and future retirees, and eroding protections that Americans have earned through many years of hard work and taxes. Yet, in a short-sighted attempt to save money, vouchers are being promoted on Capitol Hill as an answer to rising costs. Unfortunately, they are the wrong answer. Vouchers pose troubling risks for 89,345 Wyoming residents who are currently in Medicare, not to mention the 118,734 age 50 and older wh...
It is difficult to read many of the facts below specific to Hot Springs County Schools, unless you realize what we may lose as a community. Can we live with fewer teachers, fewer bus drivers, without sports and activities, without agriculture programs, music programs, computer programs? Can we live with large class sizes in our younger grades? How about adding to an economic downturn in our community by reducing the number of educational professionals who make their home here, buy goods and services here? While these questions are yet to be...
In music, poetry, books and speeches we hear the phrase “Children are our future”, but a bill under consideration in the Wyoming State Legislature seems to imply otherwise. SJ9 takes our children off the front burner, relegating them to discretionary spending -- discretionary under the purview of the state legislature. Our state’s constitution placed educational spending as a priority to ensure every child in the State of Wyoming would receive an equitable education. If passed, SJ9 would remove educational spending as a priority and would allow...
Within a few weeks, the high school basketball seasons will come to a close. There have certainly been plenty of ups and downs the past few months — more of the latter, when it comes to end scores. But, as coaches have consistently pointed out this season, those final scores do not reflect the spirit shown by the Bobcats when they hit the court. While I wasn’t able to attend the first few games of the season, I have since seen what our boys and girls can do with the rock, and seeing them in act...
If you’ve been having trouble talking freely with friends and neighbors since the last election, you’re not alone. And the media wouldn’t have it any other way. Whether we’re sounding the drums of the Left or the Right, there’s nothing that sells quite as well as conflict. Even your hometown newspaper is guilty of leading with the bleeding. That’s because conflict is what makes a story interesting. You’re a reader - think about the last book you read. Now take all of the conflict out of it. Reading can be a pretty boring exercise without the c...
I’ve been going to all the solar eclipse meetings, you know, the one coming Aug. 21 that might very well double the number of people in Hot Springs County for several days. Some people might call me crazy, but I am really excited about the opportunity to not only see my community packed with happy people waiting for a celestial event, but the memories I’m sure to have during that week. When I was young, my grandfather made sure that I was witness to everything possible happening in the sky. Fro...
“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” –Rogers Hornsby Like “The Rajah”, player, manager and coach of 23 seasons in major league baseball, we are at that time in Wyoming when we’re teased with a few nice days filled with sunshine then just as quickly plunged back into the gray doldrums of winter. “Icky Season,” dominated by slush, water, ice and mud, followed by spring’s renewal, green grass, bursting blossoms and yes, the occasional snow squal...
Last Thursday HB 135 “Government Non-Discrimination Act” was withdrawn from consideration at the legislature. This is truly sad. ACLU talking points claimed that HB 135 came from out-of-state interests. They are false. Interested Wyomingites, like me, have been working on this for months before the ACLU swooped in just in time for our legislative session. These talking points are dismissive of the myriads of Wyoming citizens who care about free speech. I appreciate those legislators who did not dismiss our concerns. Once, the First Ame...
I’ve been spending a lot of time on the river lately. I don’t mean I’ve taken up ice fishing or I’m making plans to take on the Polar Bear experience. It’s just I find myself, in my everyday routine, drawn more and more to the Big Horn and Wind River. I know, it’s kind of hard to avoid since it weaves through town, but even when I’m nowhere near the banks the river seems to find me. Case in point — Thermopolis Middle School has an incredible display in their hall regarding a artist-in-resid...
For more than 100 years, the Wyoming Press Association has provided representation of Wyoming’s 45 newspapers, representing paper interests in lobbying, advertising and education. The association allows newspapers to speak with a unified voice on important matters. Every year, the Wyoming Press Association provides another function — awarding its member newspapers in areas such as photography, advertisement, editorial matter and overall excellence during the annual winter convention. Staff at the Independent Record attended the 2017 con...
Sometimes I sit at my desk here at the Independent Record and try to come up with something to put into this page. Some days ideas come to me very quickly – other days, not so much. With all the snow coming down Tuesday I sat at my desk and stared out the window, waiting once again for inspiration to strike, kind of like lightning, but a lot less painful. I finally gave up and hopped in my car to go take some winter wonderland photos and while driving around that inspiration came to me. I was p...
Tomorrow (Friday) people from around the world will be watching America as we inaugurate the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump. The inauguration has a long and varied history, of course dating back to our first President, George Washington. In the past, the inauguration has actually been held on various dates. For instance, Washington’s first inauguration was held in April of 1789. Between 1793 and 1933, it was traditionally held on March 4. It was not until Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s inauguration in 1937 that a set date was...
Thank you for the wonderful performance and unique cultural learning experience. Last Friday, the 13th of January, the Greater Learning Foundation brought dancers and musicians from Russia to perform for the high school students during the school day and later for the public that night. The performance was absolutely spectacular, and the students especially enjoyed the audience participation our visitors added in with their performance. They certainly kept the crowd awake and alert, making their culture come alive. It was hilarious, wonderful...
Last week was a milestone, both for my son as well as my wife and I. After days of wiggling, poking and prodding, Michael announced to us — and, judging by the volume of his voice, the neighbors — that he lost his first tooth. Naturally this came with some excitement for myself and Louise. Pictures were taken and posted, phone calls were made to grandparents and other family members. Even our two-year-old got into the act, though at first he wasn’t sure why we were celebrating. When we told...
This weekend, Thermopolis will host the Moscow Nights/Golden Gates dance troupe, featuring dancers from Russia and Georgia. It’s one of the many opportunities throughout the year when we can catch a brief glimpse into another culture, and we should take advantage of it. Around town, several have stepped up and opened their doors to these dancers and musicians during their brief stay. While these folks will certainly get more understanding of the Russian and Georgian culture, in a small town we can expect their experiences and stories of the v...
Some of you may have seen an article making its way across the Internet recently, listing the 50 least educated places in every state. Guess what? The “writer” of the piece has placed Hot Springs County, Wyoming at number 49, inferring there is only one place in the country dumber than us. I put the word writer in quotes, because this kind of journalism is nothing more than someone sitting behind their computer, gathering bits of information from around the web, tossing it all together in a sup...
The education of our young people is one of the most critical pieces we, as a society, are responsible for. Our educators mold the minds of future generations and each child, each teacher, each school district is different in regards to needs and resources. We all have similar goals in Wyoming, however, the needs of smaller school districts is vastly different from the needs of larger districts in the state. With the Wyoming State Legislature’s opening day right around the corner, one bill to keep an eye on is House Bill 0037 – Teacher accounta...
